Customized tipping flow

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a technology for customizing the flow of a payment transaction at a payer&#39;s mobile device, based on parameters associated with a merchant payee to which the payer is making the payment. The payee can be a business entity that conducts transactions involving tips (e.g., restaurant, professional service, etc.). The transaction flow technology involves communication between a mobile application installed on the mobile device and a remote payment service system (PSS). A list of potential payees can be displayed for selection by the payer at the mobile application. The payees can be nearby payees identified by using, e.g., BLE, Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, geofence, etc. Upon selection of a particular payee by the payer, the PSS identifies one or more parameters of that payee, e.g., payee type, and generates a transaction flow that includes a tipping flow corresponding to the parameters of the merchant payee.

BACKGROUND

Payment transactions are crucial in everyday life for both personaltransactions as well as business transactions. For an individual payer,making payments to different individuals and/or businesses can beburdensome when each individual and/or business relies on a differentpayment process. For example, a salon may utilize a computer systemimplemented by Vendor X while a restaurant may utilize a computer systemimplemented by Vendor Y. For a given business, the ability to simplifythe payment process for its customers can significantly reduce frictionin the sales of its good and/or services, and increase customers'willingness to engage in transactions with the business. However,existing systems often involve extensive learning curves for both thepayers and the payees, while not sufficiently catering to the differingbusiness needs of payees.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the disclosed technology will be described and explainedthrough the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a network-based environment in whichvarious embodiments of the transaction flow technology can be utilized;

FIG. 2 illustrates various components of a mobile device that can beused in accordance with various embodiments of the transaction flowtechnology;

FIG. 3 illustrates various components of a computer server system thatcan be used in accordance with various embodiments of the transactionflow technology;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example data flow for generating a customizedtransaction flow in accordance to various embodiments of the transactionflow technology;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example graphical user interface of a mobileapplication for enabling a payer to engage in a transaction with apayee, in accordance to some embodiments of the transaction flowtechnology;

FIG. 6 illustrates an example set of graphical user interfaces of amobile application for enabling a first transaction flow, in accordanceto some embodiments of the transaction flow technology;

FIG. 7 illustrates an example set of graphical user interfaces of amobile application for enabling a second transaction flow, in accordanceto some embodiments of the transaction flow technology;

FIG. 8 illustrates an example set of graphical user interfaces of amobile application for enabling a third transaction flow, in accordanceto some embodiments of the transaction flow technology;

FIG. 9 illustrates example graphical user interfaces of a mobileapplication for enabling various tipping flows, in accordance to someembodiments of the transaction flow technology;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a set of operations for customizinga transaction flow, in accordance to some embodiments of the transactionflow technology;

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a set of operationsfor customizing a tipping flow in connection with a particulartransaction flow, in accordance to some embodiments of the transactionflow technology;

FIG. 12 illustrates an example of a processing computer system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Introduced here is a technology for customizing the flow of a paymenttransaction at a mobile device of a payer, wherein the flow iscustomized based on characteristics of a payee to whom the payer ismaking the payment (the “transaction flow technology”). Suchcharacteristics, or “parameters,” can include a payee type, a payeedescription, or a payee transaction history. The payees can include, forexample, a restaurant, a car wash service, a non-profit organization, apersonal friend of the payer, etc. A customized transaction flow for arestaurant payee can include, for example, a tipping process and afeedback process. In another example, the transaction flow for anon-profit organization payee can include a donation and registrationprocess. In yet another example, the transaction flow for a personalfriend payee can include a confirmation and personal note process.

In at least some embodiments, the transaction flow technology involvescommunication between a mobile payment application installed on thepayer's mobile device and a remote payment service system (PSS). Upondetecting the payer's intent to engage in a payment transaction, themobile payment application automatically populates a list of potentialpayees (e.g., displayed as identifiers) for selection by the payer. Thepotential payees can be nearby payees identified by using, e.g.,Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, geofence, etc. Thepotential payees can also be retrieved from past transactions conductedby the payer. Upon the payer's selection of a given payee, the mobilepayment application communicates the selection to the PSS, which thenexecutes, or triggers execution, of a transaction flow customized basedon parameters associated with the selected payee. The transaction flowguides the payer through one or more processes (e.g., tipping, feedback,etc.) to complete the payment transaction with the selected payee, wherethat guidance is based on the parameters.

Consider an example scenario in which a payer launches the mobilepayment application on the payer's mobile device to initiate a paymenttransaction. The mobile payment application detects this applicationlaunch as an indication that the payer intends to make a payment, andresponsively outputs a user interface that suggests one or moreidentifiers corresponding to one or more payees for the payer to selectas the payee to receive a payment. In some embodiments, the mobilepayment application suggests the identifiers based on, for example, anaddress book of the payer stored in the mobile device, a list of recentcontacts of the payer stored on the mobile device, information on othernearby payees (e.g., via BLE, Bluetooth, geofence), or a combinationthereof. The user interface can also prompt the payer to select a payeewith whom to engage in a payment transaction.

In some embodiments, the mobile payment application causes the mobiledevice to transmit a message to the PSS to convey the payer's intent toengage in a payment transaction. The message can include informationabout the payer's mobile device (e.g., geographical location, device ID,app ID, etc.) and/or about the payer (e.g., payer identifier, logincredentials, etc.). The PSS can identify one or more payees (i.e.,potential payees) of the mobile payment application that are inproximity to the payer's mobile device based on identificationinformation of those users' mobile devices. Alternatively, the PSS canidentify past payees to whom the payer has made payments in pasttransaction(s), for example, by performing a database lookup based on anassociation between the payer's account with the PSS and the payeridentifier, which the payer previously specified to the PSS in thosepast transaction(s). The PSS then sends to the payer's mobile device amessage directed to the mobile payment application. The message isconfigured to cause the mobile payment application to output to thepayer a user interface that presents the list of potential payees andprompts the payer to select a payee with whom to engage in a paymenttransaction.

In some embodiments, the payer can input, to the payment application,one or more alphanumerical characters indicative of a payee identifierto indicate the payee to whom payment is to be made. The mobile paymentapplication can monitor for any character input and responsivelygenerate and/or update the list of potential payees based on eachcharacter input submitted in real-time. The mobile payment applicationcan update the list based on information stored at the mobile device, asdiscussed above, or can alternatively communicate with the PSS to updatethe list.

After the payer has input a selection of a payee to the mobile device,the mobile payment application causes the mobile device to transmit amessage to convey that selection to the PSS. The PSS then executes ortriggers a transaction flow to guide the payer through the paymenttransaction with the selected payee, according to parameters associatedwith that payee. In particular, the PSS can determine a particulartransaction flow to execute by first performing a database lookup of thepayee e.g., based on the identifier selected by the payer at the mobiledevice, and identifying parameters stored in association with thatidentifier of the payee. The parameters can include a payee type, apayee description, any transaction history involving the payee, apayment criterion, or any combination thereof. For example, forselection of an identifier “RedCross,” the parameters can include afirst parameter that is a payee type of “non-profit entity” and secondparameter that is a payee description of “The Red Cross.” In anotherexample, for selection of an identifier “Tacos_on_the_go,” theparameters can include a first parameter that is a payee type of“quick-service entity,” a second parameter that is a payee descriptionof “Tacos Food Truck,” and a third parameter that is a payment criterionof “minimum $1 tip.”

Based on the parameters of the payee's identifier, the PSS determines aparticular transaction flow for the payment transaction between thepayer and the payee. The PSS can select the particular transaction flowfrom multiple transaction flows stored in a database, where thetransaction flows are different from one another based on variousparameters. For the above “RedCross” example, the PSS can select thetransaction flow customized for a non-profit entity, which may include adonation process and a registration process of the donator. For theabove “Tacos_on_the_go” example, the PSS can select the transaction flowcustomized for a quick-service entity, which may include an invoiceprocess and a tipping process. The transaction flow can also include acustomized tipping amount of $1 added to the payment amount as requiredby the payee. In some embodiments, the PSS can generate a newtransaction by incorporating different processes, as opposed toselecting a predetermined one from the stored transaction flows.

In some embodiments, the PSS can further customize a tipping flow forpayees that provide goods and/or services involving tip payments. Insuch embodiments, the PSS, upon receiving the payer's selection of sucha payee, can select the appropriate tipping flow for inclusion in thetransaction flow based on particular parameter(s) associated with thatpayee. The parameters affecting the tipping flow can include, forexample, a payee type of a restaurant and a tipping criterion of“standard.” The tipping flow in this example can be a set of tippingamounts that are predefined for a standard restaurant (e.g., 15%, 20%,25%, etc.). In another example, where the parameters include a payeetype of a restaurant and a tipping criterion of “group,” the tippingamount is automatically set at 18%. In yet another example, where theparameters include a payee type of a restaurant and a transaction typeof a carry-out order, the set of tipping amounts can include, e.g., 10%and “No Tip.”

Upon determination of the appropriate transaction flow based on thepayee's parameters, the PSS sends a message directed to the mobilepayment application installed on the payer's mobile device, where themessage includes information about the appropriate transaction flow. Themessage is configured to cause the mobile payment application to outputto the payer a user interface that guides the payer through one or moreprocesses of the transaction flow. For the above “RedCross” example, thepayer can be presented a user interface that first prompts the payer toenter a donation amount, and then (optionally) enter registrationinformation to receive future news about The Red Cross®. Upon receivingthe requested information, the mobile payment application causes themobile device to transmit a message to the PSS to convey the receivedinformation. The PSS, in turn, transfers, or causes to be transferred,the payment (i.e., donation amount) to The Red Cross®. This can include,for example, transferring funds from a financial account associated withthe payer to a financial account associated with The Red Cross®. In someembodiments, where a tipping flow is included in the transaction flow,the PSS can process the payment for the entire transaction as onecomplete transfer of funds, which includes both the payment amount forthe transaction and the tipping amount customized based on the payee'sparameters.

Among other benefits, the transaction flow technology makes paymenttransactions relatively seamless and easy as compared to traditionalmethods. On one hand, payers can make payments to anyone (e.g., a friendor a restaurant) by accessing the same interface, and the paymentapplication automatically modifies the transaction flow to accommodate.On the other hand, payees are able to sell goods, services, or otherwiseconduct transactions, with any payer who has access to the paymentapplication, which caters to the payment processing needs of the payees.Furthermore, since payments can be transferred by mere use of anidentifier (e.g., Mediterranean_restaurant, alexb, RedCross, etc.),neither the payer nor the payee has to provide (or remember) complicateddetails typically required for making a payment (e.g., billinginformation, service account number, etc.). Additionally, fortransactions with a tipping flow, the technology disclosed here providesefficient payment processing that enables the payee to receive fundsfrom the payer in one charge (i.e., customized tipping amount includedin the transaction charge), in contrast to the back-and-forthtraditional methods, which typically require a first request forauthorization of the payment amount, followed by a second request forauthorization of the tipping amount.

Various embodiments and implementations of the transaction flowtechnology will now be described. The following description providesspecific details for a thorough understanding and an enablingdescription of these implementations. One skilled in the art willunderstand, however, that the disclosed system and methods may bepracticed without many of these details. It is noted that while thevarious embodiments are described with reference to a paymenttransaction, the transaction flow technology can be used for anytransaction implementation involving a first party dealing with varioussecond parties, where such implementation necessitates a differenttransaction flow (i.e., involving different processes) for every secondparty. Additionally, while in the various embodiments emphasized herein,the payer generally uses a mobile device to engage in the paymenttransaction with the customized transaction flow, in other embodiments,the payer may use a processing device other than a mobile device toengage in that transaction, such as a conventional personal computer(PC). In such embodiments, the mobile payment application can bereplaced by a more conventional software application in such processingdevice, where such software application has functionality similar tothat of the mobile payment application as described herein.

Moreover, the transaction flow technology introduced here can beembodied as special-purpose hardware (e.g., circuitry), as programmablecircuitry appropriately programmed with software and/or firmware, or asa combination of special-purpose and programmable circuitry. Hence,embodiments may include a machine-readable medium having stored thereoninstructions that may be used to cause one or more processors to performthe methods, variations of the methods, and other operations describedhere. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to,floppy diskettes, optical discs, compact disc read-only memories(CD-ROMs), magneto-optical discs, read-only memories (ROMs), randomaccess memories (RAMs), erasable programmable read-only memories(EPROMs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories(EEPROMs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), magnetic oroptical cards, flash memory, or other type of media/machine-readablemedium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

In this description, the terms “connected” or “coupled” and relatedterms are used in an operational sense and are not necessarily limitedto a direct physical connection or coupling. Thus, for example, twodevices may be coupled directly, or via one or more intermediary mediaor devices. As another example, devices may be coupled in such a waythat information can be passed there-between, while not sharing anyphysical connection with one another. Based on the disclosure providedherein, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate a variety ofways in which connection or coupling exists in accordance with theaforementioned definition.

The term “module,” or “engine” refers broadly to general- orspecial-purpose hardware, software, or firmware (or any combinationthereof) components. Modules and engines are typically functionalcomponents that can generate useful data or other output using specifiedinput(s). A module or engine may or may not be self-contained. Dependingupon implementation-specific or other considerations, the modules orengines may be centralized or functionally distributed. An applicationprogram (also called an “application”) may include one or more modulesand/or engines, or a module and/or engine can include one or moreapplication programs.

The phrases “in some embodiments,” “according to some embodiments,” “inthe embodiments shown,” “in other embodiments,” and the like generallymean the particular feature, structure, or characteristic following thephrase is included in at least one implementation of the disclosedtechnology, and may be included in more than one implementation. Inaddition, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodimentsor different embodiments. Furthermore, if the specification states asystem, a component, or a feature “may”, “can”, “could”, or “might” beincluded or have a characteristic, that particular component or featureis not required to be included or have the characteristic.

The term “cause” and variations thereof, as used throughout thisdescription, refers to either direct causation or indirect causation.For example, a computer system can “cause” an action by sending amessage to a second computer system that commands, requests or promptsthe second computer system to perform the action. Any number ofintermediary devices may examine and/or relay the message during thisprocess. In this regard, a device can “cause” an action even though itmay not be known to the device whether the action will ultimately beexecuted or completed.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a network-based environment 100 inwhich various embodiments of the transaction flow technology can beutilized. The environment 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a mobiledevice 102 of a payer user 101 (or, “payer 101”) and a computer serversystem 110 of a payment service (hereinafter, payment service system(PSS) 110″), which is coupled in communication with the mobile device102 via a network 130. The mobile device 102 can be, for example, asmart phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, or any other formof mobile processing device. A mobile payment application 104(hereinafter, “App 104”) executes on the mobile device 102 of the payer101. In some embodiments, the mobile device 102 can be a personalcomputer or any other form of non-mobile processing device that iscapable of communicating with the PSS 110 via networks (e.g., thenetwork 130). In such embodiments, the App 104 can be replaced by a moreconventional software application with functionality similar to that ofthe App 104.

In some embodiments, the PSS 110 can communicate with a computer system112 of an Automated Clearing House (ACH) network (hereinafter, “ACHNetwork 112”). The ACH Network 112 can communicate with a payer bankaccount and a payee bank account. The payer bank account and the payeebank account can transfer money, e.g., using the ACH network, inresponse to a request to transfer money from the PSS 110. There can alsobe computer systems of other entities, e.g., a card acquirer, betweenthe PSS 110 and card issuers and between the PSS 110 and bank accounts.

In some embodiments, the PSS 110 can communicate with a computer system114 of a card payment network (hereinafter, “Card Payment Network 114”),such as a debit card payment network (e.g., STAR or PULSE) or a creditcard payment network (e.g., Visa® or MasterCard®). The PSS 110 cancommunicate with the Card Payment Network 114 over the same network 130used to communicate with the mobile device 130, or over a differentnetwork. The Card Payment Network 114 can communicate, in turn, with acomputer system of a payer card issuer (not shown for simplicity), e.g.,a bank, and a computer system of a payee card issuer (not shown forsimplicity). The payer card issuer and the payee card issuer cantransfer money, e.g., over a debit payment network (“debit rails”), inresponse to a request to transfer money from the PSS 110.

In some embodiments, the payer 101 has a pre-established a financialaccount with the PSS 110, such that any transaction approval requestrelating to that financial account will get processed by the PSSdirectly (e.g., as opposed to the PSS 110 communicating with the CardPayment Network 114 or the ACH Network 112). In such embodiments, thepayer's financial account is stored by the PSS 110 in association withinformation about the payer, such as an identifier of the payer(hereinafter, “payer identifier”) (e.g., email address, phone number,etc.). The PSS 110 can use the financial account to pay for atransaction made using a service and/or an application provided by thePSS 110 (e.g., the application 104). In some embodiments, such afinancial account may be associated with multiple accounts (e.g., bankaccounts, pre-paid accounts, user accounts, etc.) and/or other paymentmechanisms of different types (e.g., credit card accounts, debit cardaccounts, etc.) of the payer 101. In some embodiments, the payer 101 canselect (or the PSS 110 can automatically select) any one of the paymentmechanisms to pay for a given transaction.

Each of the aforementioned computer systems in the environment 100 caninclude one or more distinct physical computers and/or other processingdevices which, in the case of multiple devices, can be connected to eachother through one or more wired and/or wireless networks. All of theaforementioned devices are coupled to each other through the network130, which can be or include the Internet and one or more wirelessnetworks (e.g., a WiFi® network and/or a cellular telecommunicationsnetwork).

The mobile device 102 typically includes a display that can be used todisplay a user interface 106, and may include suitable input devices(not shown for simplicity) such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a touchpad.In some embodiments, the display may be a touch-sensitive screen thatincludes input functionalities. The App 104 can output the userinterface 106 based on one or more instructions received from the PSS110. The user interface 106 can present to the payer 101 a transactionflow 108 that is customized based on parameters associated with a userpayee (hereinafter, “payee”) to whom the payer 101 wishes to make apayment and/or otherwise engage in a transaction. The App 104 can causethe user interface 106 to present a list of potential payees 122A-C tothe payer 101. The one or more potential payees 122A-C can include, forexample, a restaurant, a grocery store, or a personal friend of thepayer 101. Other example payees can include a fundraising organization(e.g., political cause), a non-profit organization, a professionalservice, etc.

In some embodiments, the list of potential payees 122A-C can begenerated based on information about other nearby payees, for example,based on wireless signals from nearby devices such as the payee devices120A-C. The wireless signals can be based on a short-range wirelesscommunication feature (e.g., Bluetooth® or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)),a wireless networking feature of the payee device 120, and/or anycombination thereof. In some embodiments, the list of potential payees122A-C can be generated based on an address book stored in the mobiledevice 102.

In some embodiments, the list of potential payees 122A-C can begenerated based on recent contacts stored in the mobile device 102. Therecent contacts can be analyzed and extracted from recent interactionsand/or transactions conducted by the payer 101 through the App 104. Forexample, the contacts are extracted from transaction history stored bythe App 104 at the mobile device 102, where the transaction historyrecords past transactions conducted using the App 104. Alternatively,the transaction history can be requested from the PSS 110. In someembodiments, the recent contacts are retrieved from recent interactionsand/or transactions that are not conducted through the App 104. Forexample, the recent interaction is a phone conversation or an instantmessage. In some embodiments, the App 104 generates the list ofpotential payees by communicating with the PSS 110, which determinespotential payees and sends back the list via a message that causes theApp 104 to output the list to the payer 101 at the user interface 106.

FIG. 2 illustrates various components of a mobile application 210executing on a mobile device 200 in accordance with various embodimentsof the transaction flow technology. In some embodiments, the mobiledevice 200 can be the mobile device 102 of FIG. 1. In some embodiments,the mobile application 210 is the App 104 that is associated with thePSS 110 of FIG. 1. In the embodiments of FIG. 2, the mobile application210 can include a transaction flow engine 212, a transaction historymanager 214, and a graphical user interface (GUI) generation engine 216.Other embodiments of the transaction flow technology may include some,all, or none of these components along with other components. Still yet,some embodiments may incorporate two or more of these components into asingle component and/or associate a portion of the functionality of oneor more of these components with a different component. For example, insome embodiments, the transaction flow engine 212 and the transactionhistory manager 214 can be combined into a single component.

The transaction flow engine 212 can detect an intent of a user (i.e.,payer) to make a payment to another user another user (i.e., payee) atthe mobile application 210, and generate a transaction flow that iscustomized based on parameters of the payee. In some embodiments, thetransaction flow engine 212 can detect the intent upon determining thatthe mobile application 210 has been launched at the mobile device 200(e.g., the payer opens the mobile application 210). In some embodiments,the transaction flow engine 212 can detect the intent based on a messagedirected to the mobile application 210 and received from a nearbyprocessing device, such as a payee's device. The message can beconfigured to communicate with the transaction flow engine 212 to alertthe mobile application 210 of the payee's presence in proximity of themobile device 200. Based on such alert, the transaction flow engine 212can cause the GUI generation engine 214 to output a user interface thatprompts the payer whether he/she wishes to engage in a paymenttransaction with that payee.

In some embodiments, the transaction flow engine 212 can detect theintent upon receiving, at the mobile application 210, an inputassociated with the payee's name, or “payee identifier.” The input canbe, for example, an alphabetical or numerical character (e.g., “A”) thatis entered by the payer, for example, in a TO field of a user interfaceof the mobile application 210. An example of such user interface isillustrated in FIG. 5. Based on this input, the transaction flow engine212 can determine that the payer wishes to engage in the paymenttransaction with a payee having an identifier that starts with thealphabetical (or numerical) input (e.g., “Adam”). The transaction flowengine 212 can generate a list of one or more potential payees to whomthe payer may wish to make the payment. In some embodiments, the listmay be updated with new potential payees based on each newalphanumerical character input received at the mobile application 212.

In some embodiments, the transaction flow engine 212 can generate thelist of potential payees based on an address book of the payer stored inthe mobile device 200. In some embodiments, the transaction flow engine212 can generate the list of potential payees based on the payer'srecently used contacts stored on the mobile device 200. The recentlyused contacts can be based on recent interactions and/or transactionsthat are not conducted through the mobile application 212 (e.g., instantmessage). In some embodiments, the recently used contacts can be basedon past payment transactions. These past transactions can be stored atthe mobile device 200 and managed by the transaction history manager214. The transaction history manager 214 can track and store a historyof payment transactions engaged in by the payer of the mobile device 200with one or more payees, using the mobile application 210. The historyof payment transactions can include payee identifiers that can be usedto identify contacts with whom the payer has had recent interactions;these contacts can then be generated as part of the list of potentialpayees suggested by the mobile application 210 to the payer for futurepayment transactions.

In some embodiments, the transaction flow engine 212 can communicatewith a networking component of the mobile device 200 to identify nearbypayees. For example, the mobile application 210 may invoke, in someembodiments, a short-range wireless communication feature of the mobiledevice 200 that enables connection 202 with other nearby device(s),e.g., payee device(s) 220, such as Bluetooth®, Bluetooth Low Energy®(BLE), infrared communication, or the like. These payee device(s) 220can be executing another mobile application 222 (“App 222”) that isconfigured to communicate with the mobile application 210. In someembodiments, the App 222 can be associated with the PSS (e.g., PSS 110),and can be, for example, a payee-customized version of the mobileapplication 210, to enable a payee to interact with payment receivingfunctionalities managed by the PSS. Such a payee can be, for example, auser who is registered with the PSS to receive payments through the App222.

In another example, the mobile application 210 may invoke, in someembodiments, a wireless networking feature of the mobile device 200 thatenables high-speed connection 204 to a network 208 (e.g., the Internet),such as Wi-Fi® or the like, to identify nearby devices, e.g., payeedevice(s) 230. The mobile device 200 can communicate with the payeedevice(s) 230 through use of a geofence 206, which is defined by aplurality of wireless access points (APs) connected to the network 208.For example, the mobile device 200 can detect the payee device 230 uponphysical entrance into the geofence 206 based on the connection 204. Thepayee device(s) 230 can execute a mobile application that is configuredto communicate with the mobile application 210. In some embodiments,such mobile application can be associated with the PSS (e.g., PSS 110),and can be, for example, a payee-customized version of the mobileapplication 210, to enable a payee to interact with payment receivingfunctionalities managed by the PSS. Such a payee can be, for example, auser who is registered with the PSS to receive payments through thatmobile application.

In some embodiments, the mobile application 210 transmits, or causes tobe transmitted, a message to the PSS requesting for the list ofpotential payees. The mobile application 210 can combine the payeesreceived back from the PSS with its own list of payees. In someembodiments, the mobile application 210 proceeds without requesting thepotential payees from the PSS.

With the list of potential payees, the payer is given an option toselect one payee to continue with the payment transaction. In someembodiments, the payer may finish inputting characters for a desiredpayee, where such payee may not appear in the list of potential payees.In such embodiments, the transaction flow engine 212 can cause anotheruser interface to be generated to prompt the payer to invite the payeeto register with the PSS.

Assuming the payer selects one payee from the generated list ofpotential payees (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 5), the transaction flowengine 212 can determine a transaction flow based on parameters of thatselected payee to guide the payer through the payment transaction withthat payee. FIGS. 6-9 illustrate various transaction flows that may bedetermined and utilized for guiding the payer. As used here, atransaction flow refers to a set of operations executed by thetransaction flow engine 212 to guide the payer through differentprocesses that make up the flow. The one or more operations included ina given transaction flow depend on the parameters associated with theselected payee. The parameters can include, for example, a type of thepayee, a description of the payee, a payment criterion of the payee, atipping criterion of the payee, and/or any other information relating tothe payee's payment preferences.

In some embodiments, the parameters are stored at the PSS (e.g., PSS110) and retrieved by the mobile application 210 for generation of thetransaction flow. In such embodiments, upon receiving the payer'sselection of a payee, the transaction flow engine 212 causes the mobiledevice 200 to transmit a message to the PSS to request for anappropriate transaction flow based on the selection. For example, themessage can include the payee identifier indicative of the selectedpayee. The PSS then performs a database lookup for parameters associatedwith that identifier, identifies the appropriate transaction flow, andtransmits a return message to the mobile device 200. The message can beconfigured to cause the mobile device 200 to execute a set of operationsincluded in the transaction flow at the mobile payment application 210for guiding the payer to completion of the payment transaction. Forexample, responsive to the message, the transaction flow engine 212communicates with the GUI generation engine 216 to output one or moreuser interfaces representative of one or more processes involved in thetransaction flow, where each user interface involves execution of aparticular operation corresponding to the processes.

In some embodiments, the parameters of various payees are stored at themobile device 200, and accessible by the transaction flow engine 212 togenerate the appropriate transaction flow for whichever payee selectedby the payer. The parameters stored at the mobile device 200 can be fora selected group of payees. For example, only parameters of recentcontacts/payees are stored. In another example, parameters of thosepayees that are in the address book of the payer stored at the mobiledevice 200 are stored at the mobile device 200. In yet another example,parameters of those payees that are specified by the payer as“Favorites” are stored at the mobile device 200. Upon access of theparameters at the mobile device 200, the transaction flow engine 212 candetermine the appropriate transaction flow locally at the mobile device200 (i.e., without having to retrieve the data from the PSS). In someembodiments, the transaction flows can be preconfigured and stored atthe mobile device 200. In such embodiments, the transaction flow engine212 can perform a search (or lookup) to select one of the transactionflows for the selected payee based on the payee's parameters. In someembodiments, the transaction flow engine 212 creates the transactionflow based on the parameters identified for the selected payee. In suchembodiments, the different processes for generating the transaction flowcan be stored at the mobile device 200, and the transaction flow engine212 can combine one or more of those processes to create the transactionflow based on an analysis of the selected payee's parameters. Exampleuser interfaces of the various transaction flows are illustrated inFIGS. 6-9.

The GUI generation engine 216 can generate one or more user interfaces(i.e., GUI screens) that allow for interaction with a user of the mobiledevice 200. In some embodiments, the GUI generation engine 216 generatesa user interface allowing the payer to start engaging in a paymenttransaction with the payee by, for example, input payee name (e.g.,identifier of a payee), selecting application functionality, and/orotherwise interact with one or more application functionalities. FIGS.5-9 illustrate various examples of graphical user interfaces that can begenerated by the GUI generation engine 216.

FIG. 3 illustrates various components of a computer server system 300that can be used in accordance with various embodiments of thetransaction flow technology. In some embodiments, the computer serversystem 300 can be the PSS 110 of FIG. 1. According to the embodimentsshown in FIG. 3, the computer server system 300 can include atransaction flow engine 302, a transaction processing engine 304, anaccount manager 306, a transaction history manager 308, and anaccounting engine 310. In some embodiments, the computer server system300 can also include a user account database 320, a financial accountdatabase 322, and a transaction history database 324. Other embodimentsof the disclosed technology can include some, all, or none of thesecomponents along with other components. Still yet, some embodiments canincorporate two or more of these components into a single componentand/or associate a portion of the functionality of one or more of thesecomponents with a different component. For example, in some embodiments,the transaction flow engine 202 and the transaction processing engine304 (and/or some portions of the functionality of the transactionprocessing engine 304) can be combined into a single component forprocessing and executing operations associated with paymenttransactions.

The transaction flow engine 302 can detect an indication of a payer'sintent to engage in a payment transaction, and in response, candetermine an appropriate transaction flow for presentation to the payer.In some embodiments, the indication of the payer's intent can bedetected by the transaction flow engine 302 receiving a message from amobile application installed on the payer's mobile device. The mobileapplication can be, for example, the App 104 of FIG. 1 or the mobileapplication 210 of FIG. 2. The message can include information relatingto the payer's intent to engage in the payment transaction. For example,the message can include an indication that the payer has launched themobile application at the payer's mobile device. In another example, themessage can include a payee identifier of an entity or individual towhom the payer wishes to send a payment. The payee identifier can be acomplete identifier or a portion of the identifier (e.g., one or morealphanumerical characters input by the payer into the mobileapplication). In yet another example, the message can include anidentifier of the payer (“payer identifier”) in addition to the payeeidentifier. The payer identifier can be part of login credentialssubmitted by the payer for accessing the mobile application and/orfunctionalities provided by the mobile application (e.g., paymenttransfer functionalities).

Responsive to the indication of the payer's intent, the transaction flowengine 302 can generate a list of potential payees for display to thepayer at the mobile device. In some embodiments, the transaction flowengine 302 generates the list by communicating with the transactionhistory manager 308 to identify one or more potential payees with whomthe payer has conducted a payment transaction in the past. In someembodiments, the transaction flow engine 302 generates the list bycommunicating with the account manager 306 to first identify the payer.The payer can be identified based on the payer identifier included inthe message from the mobile application, and then identify one or morepayees associated with the payer. These payees can be specified by thepayer, for example, as “Favorites” and stored in association with thepayer identifier in an account of the payer with the computer serversystem 300.

Upon identifying the potential payees, the transaction flow engine 302transmits, or causes to be transmitted, a message directed to the mobileapplication installed at the payer's mobile device. The message can beconfigured to cause the mobile application to output a user interface atthe mobile device to display the list of payees. The payer may select apayee from that list to continue with the payment transaction with thatpayee. The mobile application installed at the payer's mobile device cantransmit, or causes to be transmitted, a message back to the computerserver system 300 to convey information about the payer's selection(e.g., payee identifier of the selected payee). The message can causethe computer server system 300, more specifically the transaction flowengine 302, to determine a customized transaction flow for carrying outthe payment transaction with the selected payee.

In determining the transaction flow, the transaction flow engine 302 canperform a database lookup for parameters associated with the payeeidentifier (e.g., user account database 320). The transaction flowengine 302 can identify the appropriate transaction flow based on thoseparameters. In particular, the transaction flow engine 302 can select aparticular transaction flow from multiple transaction flows that arepreconfigured and stored at the computer server system 300 (e.g.,transaction history database 324 or another database not shown). In someembodiments, the transaction flow engine 302 can create a newtransaction flow based on the parameters identified for the selectedpayee. In such embodiments, the different processes that can beincorporated for generating the new transaction flow can be stored atthe computer server system 300. The transaction flow engine 212 cancombine one or more of those processes to create the transaction flowbased on an analysis of the selected payee's parameters.

Upon determination/generation of the transaction flow, the transactionflow engine 302 can transmit, or cause to be transmitted, a message tothe payer's mobile device. The message can be configured to cause themobile device to execute a set of operations included in the transactionflow at the mobile payment application 210. For example, responsive tothe message, the mobile device outputs one or more user interfacesrepresentative of one or more processes involved in the transactionflow, where each user interface involves execution of a particularoperation corresponding to the processes.

The transaction processing engine 304 can process the payment for thetransaction between the payer and the payee at the completion of aparticular transaction flow. Such processing can include, for example,communicating with one or more financial entities (e.g., the ACH Network112 or the Card Payment Network 114 of FIG. 1), to transfer, or cause tobe transferred, funds indicative of the total payment amount from anaccount of the payer to an account of the payee. In some embodiments,the accounts of the payer and the payee, respectively, are financialaccounts maintained by a payment service employing the computer serversystem 300. In such embodiments, the funds are transmitted betweenaccounts maintained, for example, by the accounting engine 310.

The account manager 306, in some embodiments, can register one or moreusers with the payment service employing the computer server system 300.The transaction history manager 308, in some embodiments, can track andstore a history of payment transactions handled by instances of themobile application installed at various payers' mobile devices. Theaccounting engine 310, in some embodiments, can be used to trackfinancial transactions associated with the payment transactions. Forexample, the accounting engine 310 can ensure that payment(s) from apayer to a payee are properly deducted and credited.

The databases 320, 322, 324 can be accessed by the computer serversystem 300 for retrieving and/or storing information associated withoperations executed by the transaction flow engine 302 and/or thetransaction processing engine 304. The user account database 320 canstore users' profiles and personal preferences. For example, the useraccount database 320 can include database tables that store variousfields of information such as a customer identifier, name, emailaddress, phone number, device identifier, mobile application identifier,billing address, shipping address, and/or the like. The financialaccount database 322 can include database tables that store variousfields of information such as a customer identifier, paymentcard/account number (e.g., primary account number or PAN), expirationdate, card/account type, and/or the like. The transaction historydatabase 324 can include database tables that store various fields ofinformation such as a transaction identifier, date, customer identifier,payer name, merchant name, payee name, amount, product/service itemnames/codes, and/or the like. Various other databases may also beaccessed by the computer server system 300 other than those discussedhere. The databases 320, 322, 324 can each, or collectively, be one ormore hard drives (which may be further coupled together using RAID-0, 1,5, 10, etc.), a centralized or distributed data cluster, a cloud-storageservice provider, or other suitable storage systems suitable for storingdigital data.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example data flow 400 for generating a customizedtransaction flow in accordance to various embodiments of the transactionflow technology. The example data flow 400 can be part of a processimplemented by a computer server system (e.g., system 300 of FIG. 3)employed by a payment service. For example, the PSS 110 of FIG. 1 canexecute a process involving the example data flow 400.

In the illustrated embodiments of FIG. 4, the example data flow 400includes a processing block 402 in which the system determines who is apayee for which the transaction flow is to be customized. In particular,the system identifies the identity of the payee and the parameters ofthat identified payee. The payee can be, for example, an individual or abusiness entity. The parameters of the payee can include a payee type,such as a person (e.g., friend), a restaurant, a café, a professionalservice, a quick service, a non-profit organization, a political cause,a human-welfare cause, etc. The “professional service” as used here caninclude, for example, a massage service, a hair salon service, homecleaning, etc. The “quick service” as used here can include, forexample, a food truck service, a car wash, pizza delivery, coatroomservice, valet service, etc. The parameters can further include otherinformation about the payee, such as name, size, transaction history,description, etc.

Based on the parameters, the system can select one of many transactionflows 1-N where N is an integer greater than 1 (e.g., transaction flows404, 406, and 408), to guide the payer through a transaction conductedwith the payee. A given transaction flow can include a set of one ormore operations that correspond to different processes involved in thetransaction flow. The system can execute the set of operations to enablea customized guidance for the payer to complete the transaction with thepayee.

For example, the transaction flow 404 can be a preconfigured transactionflow that is customized for a political cause payee, and can include averification and registration flows (i.e., collectively sub-flows of theflow 404) prompting the payer to verify the donation amount and inputemployment information. The system can carry out the transaction flow404 by executing the set of operations 410 1-N corresponding to theverification and registration flows, or processes. The exampletransaction flow 404 is illustrated in FIG. 6. In another example, thetransaction flow 406 can be a preconfigured transaction flow that iscustomized for a flower business payee, and can include an invoice flowthat generates an invoice for a flower order and a recipient informationflow prompting the payer to enter recipient information (i.e.,collectively sub-flows of the flow 406). Such example transaction flowis illustrated in FIG. 7. The system can carry out the transaction flow406 by executing the set of operations 420 1-N. In yet another example,the transaction flow 406 can be a preconfigured transaction flow that iscustomized for a political cause payee, and can be a preconfiguredtransaction flow that is customized for a fine-dining restaurant payee.In such example, the transaction flow 406 can include an invoice flowthat generates an invoice for the payer (e.g., including a paymentamount and receipt with transaction details), a bill splitting flow thatenables the payer to apportion the restaurant bill among other payers,and a tipping flow that generates tipping amounts that are predefinedbased on parameters of the fine-dining restaurant (i.e., collectivelysub-flows of the flow 406). Such example transaction flow is illustratedin FIG. 8. The system can carry out the transaction flow 406 byexecuting the set of operations 420 1-N.

In some embodiments, the system generates a new transaction flow bycombining different sub-flows, or processes, and incorporates operationsassociated with those sub-flows in the new transaction flow. Forexample, the new transaction flow can be generated for the payee byselecting certain sub-flows stored in the system based on the payee'sparameters. These sub-flows can be derived, in some embodiments, fromexisting transaction flows (e.g., transaction flows 404, 406, and 408).

In some embodiments, where the payee is an entity that conducts businessinvolving tip, the system can customize the transaction flow for thepayee by selecting and/or generating an appropriate tipping flow forinclusion in that transaction flow. In such embodiments, the tippingflow can include a particular tipping flow that allows the payee (i.e.,a merchant) to include a separate payment flow in the transaction flowto prompt the payer for approval of the tipping amount. For example, thetransaction flow can include a first user interface prompting the payerto approve payment for the amount of the transaction (e.g., restaurantbill), and a second user interface, which presents a tipping flow,prompting the payer to approve (and/or specify) a tipping amount; thatis, the transaction flow involves a two-step payment authorizationprocess. In another example, the transaction flow can include a userinterface prompting the user to approve the payment amount in additionto approving/specifying the tipping amount; that is, the transactionflow involves a one-step payment authorization process that integratesthe tipping flow with the payment authorization of the original paymentamount. Examples of the various tipping flows are illustrated in FIG. 9.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example graphical user interface 500 of a mobileapplication for enabling a payer to engage in a transaction with apayee, in accordance to some embodiments of the transaction flowtechnology. The mobile application can be the App 104 that is installedon the mobile device 102 of FIG. 1. The user interface 500 can be afirst screen that the mobile application causes the mobile device tooutput initially to the payer upon the payer launching the mobileapplication. Such launch of the mobile application can enable the mobiledevice to detect the payer's intent to engage in a payment transaction.In some embodiments, the payer can begin interacting with thefunctionalities of the mobile application by inputting one or morealphanumerical characters in a TO field 502 of the user interface 500,for example, to start searching for a desired payee (e.g., byinteracting with a “Search” action button 504). Such character input canbe detected as the intent to engage in a payment transaction.

Based on detection of the payer's intent, a list of potential payees isdisplayed to the payer. The list of potential payees can include nearbypayees 506, e.g., as detected based on communication with the respectivepayee devices (e.g., based on BLE, Bluetooth, geofence, etc.). The listof potential payees can also include past payees 508 that the payer hasengaged in payment transactions. Upon selection of one of the payees,the mobile application can cause the payer's mobile device to output oneor more user interfaces, where the user interfaces correspond to aparticular transaction flow customized based on the selected payee'sparameters. The various user interfaces of the particular transactionflow are illustrated in FIGS. 6-9.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example set of graphical user interfaces 600 of amobile application for enabling a first transaction flow, in accordanceto some embodiments of the transaction flow technology. The set of userinterfaces 600 can be generated for a transaction flow that iscustomized for a donation to a non-profit organization. In theembodiments of FIG. 6, the set of user interfaces 600 includes a firstuser interface 602, a second user interface 604, and a third userinterface 606. The first user interface 602 corresponds to an invoicescreen that prompts the payer to input and confirm a donation amount.Upon confirmation, the payer is guided to the second user interface 604,which prompts the payer to enter registration information about thepayer. The third user interface 606 guides the payer to the completionof the transaction with the non-profit organization, where approval ofthe payment is processed (e.g., by the PSS 110 of FIG. 1).

FIG. 7 illustrates an example set of graphical user interfaces of apayment application for enabling a second transaction flow, inaccordance to some embodiments of the transaction flow technology. Theset of user interfaces 700 can be generated for a transaction flow thatis customized for a flower shop business. In the embodiments of FIG. 7,the set of user interfaces 700 includes a first user interface 702, asecond user interface 704, and a third user interface 706. The firstuser interface 702 corresponds to an invoice screen that provides asummary of transaction details, displays a promotion relevant to thepayer and/or the flower shop merchant, and prompts the payer to continuewith selecting the “Pay” action button. Assuming the payer selects“Pay,” the payer is guided to the second user interface 704, whichprompts the payer to enter recipient information about a recipient toreceive service/goods rendered by the flower shop merchant. The thirduser interface 706 guides the payer to the completion of the transactionwith the flower shop merchant, where approval of the payment isprocessed (e.g., by the PSS 110 of FIG. 1).

FIG. 8 illustrates an example set of graphical user interfaces 800 of amobile application for enabling a third transaction flow, in accordanceto some embodiments of the transaction flow technology. The set of userinterfaces 800 can be generated for a transaction flow that iscustomized for a restaurant merchant. In the embodiments of FIG. 8, theset of user interfaces 800 includes two subsets of user interfaces thatcorrespond two different scenarios in which the transaction flow canguide the payer. The first subset of user interfaces include a firstuser interface 802, which operates as the initial welcoming screen forguiding the payer, a second user interface 810, and a third userinterface 812. The second subset of user interfaces include the firstuser interface 802 again, a fourth user interface 820, and a fifth userinterface 822.

The first user interface 802 corresponds to an invoice screen thatprovides a summary of transaction details and prompts the payer toselect one of two options associated with the payment transaction. Inparticular, the user interface 802 displays a bill splitting option 804and a pay option 806.

In a first scenario, assuming the payer selects the bill splittingoption 804, the payer is guided to the second user interface 810, whichprompts the payer to select one or more other payers with whom to splitthe bill from the restaurant merchant. In some embodiments, the payerscan be identified for the second user interface 810 based on addressbook information, recent contacts information, or nearby payers usinginstances of the mobile application executing on the payer's mobiledevice. The processes involved in the second user interface 810 (i.e.,the bill splitting flow) may result in additional user interfaces beingoutput by the mobile device, but they are not shown for sake ofsimplicity. For example, a user interface prompting the payer toapportion the payment amount may be generated. Upon completion of thebill splitting flow, the payer is guided to the third user interface812. The third user interface 812 guides the payer to the completion ofthe transaction with the restaurant merchant, where approval of thepayment is processed in accordance with the apportionment specified bythe payer in the bill splitting flow (e.g., by the PSS 110 of FIG. 1).

In a second scenario, assuming the payer selects the pay option 806, thepayer is guided to the fourth user interface 820, which is a tippingflow included in the transaction flow based on the parameters of therestaurant merchant. The fourth user interface 820 can prompt the payerto select one of multiple tipping amounts predefined for the merchantrestaurant based on the entity's parameters. Upon selection of aparticular tipping amount, the payer is guided through to the fifth userinterface 822. The fifth user interface 822 guides the payer to thecompletion of the transaction with the restaurant merchant, whereapproval of the payment and the tipping amount is processed (e.g., bythe PSS 110 of FIG. 1).

FIG. 9 illustrates example graphical user interfaces of a mobileapplication for enabling various tipping flows, in accordance to someembodiments of the transaction flow technology. In accordance with theembodiments of FIG. 9, the various tipping flows are represented by afirst graphical user interface 900, a second graphical user interface902, and a third graphical user interface 904. The first graphical userinterface 900 can be part of a transaction flow customized for arestaurant merchant, where the interface 900 presents a tipping flowcustomized for that merchant. In particular the tipping flow of theinterface 900 presents predefined tipping amounts corresponding toparameters of the restaurant merchant. For example, the tipping amountsfor a fine-dining establishment are set at 20%, 30%, or “Other.” Uponthe payer selecting one of the tipping amounts, the payment can beprocessed to include both the amount for, e.g., the restaurant meal, inaddition to the tipping amount. That is, approval for both is completedin one step.

The second graphical user interface 902 can be part of a transactionflow customized for a quick-service merchant (e.g., a Tacos food truck),where the interface 902 presents a tipping flow customized for thatmerchant. In particular the tipping flow of the interface 902 presentspredefined tipping amounts corresponding to parameters of thequick-service merchant. For example, the tipping amounts for afine-dining establishment are set at “$1,” “$3,” or “no tip.” Upon thepayer selecting one of the tipping amounts, the payment can be processedto include both the amount for, e.g., the restaurant meal, in additionto the tipping amount. That is, approval for both is completed in onestep.

The third graphical user interface 904 can be part of a transaction flowcustomized for another quick-service merchant (e.g., a delivery ofgoods), where the interface 904 presents a tipping flow customized forthat merchant. In particular the tipping flow of the interface 904presents a two-step process that is predefined to correspond toparameters of the quick-service merchant. In particular, the tippingflow presents tipping as separate from the actual payment for thetransaction. This can be suitable, for example, a delivery service wherethe payer may want some time to decide whether to tip for delivery. Thepayer has the option of approving the payment first, and then adding thetip later. That is, approval for the two different payments (i.e.,actual transaction payment and tipping payment) are completed in twosteps.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a set of operations 1000illustrating a set of operations for customizing a transaction flow, inaccordance to some embodiments of the transaction flow technology. Theset of operations 1000 is described below as being performed by acomputer system. In some embodiments, the computer system can be thecomputer server system 300. In some embodiments, the computer system canbe the PSS 110 of FIG. 1.

At operation 1002, the system detects an indication of a payer's intentto engage in a payment transaction. Such detection can be based on, forexample, the system receiving a message from a mobile applicationexecuting on the payer's mobile device. The message can includeinformation indicating that the payer has interacted with mobileapplication (e.g., launching the application or inputting a payeeidentifier). At operation 1004, the system generates a set of potentialpayees for display to the payer at the mobile application installed onthe payer's mobile device. At operation 1006, the system receives fromthe mobile device (e.g., through the mobile application), the payer'sselection of a payee from the set of potential payees. At operation1008, the system identifies one or more parameters of the selectedpayee, such as a payee type.

At operation 1010, based on the payee type, the system selects one ofmultiple transaction flows as a particular transaction flow forinitiation at the mobile application installed at the payer's mobiledevice. The multiple transaction flows can include, for example, a firsttransaction flow and a second transaction flow. The first transactionflow can correspond to a first payee type and the second transactionflow can correspond to a second payee type, where the first transactionflow is different from the second transaction flow. For example, thefirst transaction flow can be customized for a restaurant merchant whilethe second transaction flow can be customized for a professional servicemerchant.

At operation 1012, the system initiates the particular transaction flowat the mobile application for enabling the payer to complete the paymenttransaction with the payee. At operation 1014, the system receives anapproval of a payment associated with the payment transaction with thepayee. The approval can be received, for example, at a completion of theparticular transaction flow. Alternatively, the approval can be receivedat the completion of a sub-flow of the particular transaction flow(e.g., before a tipping flow begins). At operation 1016, the system,based at least in part on the approval, transfers, or causes to betransferred, funds for the payment to a financial account associatedwith the payee.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a set of operations1100 for customizing a tipping flow in connection with a particulartransaction flow, in accordance to some embodiments of the transactionflow technology. The set of operations 1100 is described below withreference to a user device 1102, a server 1104, and a point-of-sale(POS) device 1106. In some embodiments, the user device 1102 can be amobile device, such as the mobile device 102 of FIG. 1 or mobile device200 of FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the server 1104 can be the computerserver system 300 of FIG. 3 or the PSS 110 of FIG. 1. In someembodiments, the POS device 1106 can be a payee device, such as thepayee device 120A of FIG. 1.

At operation 1110, the user device 1102 initiates a payment transactionresponsive to detecting the user device 1102 being in proximity to thePOS device 1106. Such detection can be based on BLE, Bluetooth, WiFi,and/or a geofence. At operation 1112, the user device 1102 transmits amessage indicative of a request to initiate a payment transaction withthe POS device 1106 to the server 1104. At operation 1114, the server1104, receives the message and generates an identifier corresponding tothat POS device 1106 (i.e., operation 1116) for display at the userdevice 1102. In some embodiments, the server 1104 also determineswhether the payer is engaged in any active transaction with the POSdevice 1106. For example, the server 1104 transmits a message indicativeof a transaction information inquiry directed to the POS device 1106,which responds with transaction information confirming the payer has anactive transaction. Verification of the active transaction can be done,for example, based on identifying the payer identifier and associationwith an active transaction.

At operation 1118, the user device 1102 receives the payee identifier(i.e., merchant identifier) and displays it for the payer, prompting thepayer to select it (if he/she wishes to make a payment). At operation1120, the user device 1102 receives a selection of the merchantidentifier indicating the payer wishes to make a payment to thatmerchant. At operation 1122, the user device 1102 transmits a message tothe server 1104 with information indicating the selection. At operation1124, the server 1104 receives that message. In some embodiments, theserver 1104 transmits a message to the POS device 1106 to obtainapproval and/or transaction information to process the payment requestfrom the payer, as indicated in operation 1126. At (optional) operation1126, the POS device 1106 receives the message and transmits a messageof approval, as indicated in operation 1130. At (optional) operation1132, the server 1104 receives the approval.

At operation 1134, the server 1104 accesses a database to identifyparameters associated with the selected merchant identifier. Atoperation 1136, the server 1104 generates a transaction flow based onthe parameters. In some embodiments, the transaction flow can include acustomized tipping flow specifically unique to the POS device and/ormerchant of the POS device 1106. The various tipping flows are discussedand illustrated in FIG. 9. At operation 1138, the transaction flow,along with customized tipping flow, is received at the user device 1102,which causes one or more user interfaces corresponding to thattransaction flow to be displayed to the payer. At operation 1140, theuser device 1102 receives a payment approval. At operation 1142, theserver 1104 causes funds for the payment to be transferred from thefinancial account of the payer to the financial account of the payee (ormerchant) associated with the POS device 1106.

Regarding the set of operations 1000 and 1100, while the various steps,blocks or sub-processes are presented in a given order, alternativeembodiments can perform routines having steps, or employ systems havingsteps, blocks or sub-processes, in a different order, and some steps,sub-processes or blocks can be deleted, moved, added, subdivided,combined, and/or modified to provide alternative or sub-combinations.Each of these steps, blocks or sub-processes can be implemented in avariety of different ways. Also, while steps, sub-processes or blocksare at times shown as being performed in series, some steps,sub-processes or blocks can instead be performed in parallel, or can beperformed at different times as will be recognized by a person ofordinary skill in the art. Further any specific numbers noted herein areonly examples; alternative implementations can employ differing valuesor ranges.

FIG. 12 illustrates at a high-level an example of the hardwarearchitecture of a processing computer system 1200, which can be used toimplement any of the processing devices referred to above, such as themobile device 102, the mobile device 300, the user device 1102, the PSS110, the payee device 1106, the server 1104, etc. Any of these deviceseach can include multiple instances of an architecture such as shown inFIG. 12 (i.e., multiple computers), particularly server-based systems,and such multiple instances can be coupled to each other via one or morenetworks.

In the illustrated embodiment, the processing system 1200 includes oneor more processors 1202, memory 1204, one or more mass storage devices1206, one or more input/output (I/O) devices 1208, and one or morecommunication device(s) 1210, all of which are coupled to one anotherthrough an interconnect 1212. The interconnect 1212 may be or includebuses, point-to-point connections, adapters and/or other conventionalconnection devices.

The processor(s) 1202 can be or include, for example, one or moregeneral-purpose programmable microprocessors, digital signal processors(DSPs), microcontrollers, application specific integrated circuits(ASICs), programmable gate arrays, or the like, or a combination of suchdevices. The processor(s) 1202 control the overall operation of theprocessing device 1200.

Memory 1204 can be or include one or more physical storage devices,which may be in the form of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory(ROM) (which may be erasable and programmable), flash memory, miniaturehard disk drive, or other suitable type of storage device, or acombination of such devices. The mass storage device (s) 1210 may be orinclude one or more hard drives, digital versatile disks (DVDs), flashmemories, or the like. The memory 1204 and/or the mass storage device(s)1206 can store (individually or collectively) data and instructions thatconfigure the processor(s) 1202 to execute operations in accordance withthe techniques described above.

The communication devices 1210 can be or include, for example, anEthernet adapter, Wi-Fi adapter, cellular transceiver, Bluetooth orBluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transceiver, or the like, or a combinationthereof. Depending on the specific nature and purpose of the processingdevice 1200, the I/O devices 1210 can include devices such as a display(which may be a touch screen display), audio speaker, keyboard, mouse orother pointing device, microphone, camera, etc. Note that these I/Odevices may be unnecessary, however, if the processing device 1200 isembodied solely as a server computer.

Unless contrary to physical possibility, it is envisioned that (i) themethods/steps described herein may be performed in any sequence and/orin any combination, and that (ii) the components of respectiveembodiments may be combined in any manner.

The machine-implemented operations described above can be implemented byprogrammable circuitry programmed/configured by software and/orfirmware, or entirely by special-purpose circuitry, or by a combinationof such forms. Such special-purpose circuitry (if any) can be in theform of, for example, one or more application-specific integratedcircuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmablegate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

Software used to implement the techniques introduced here may be storedon a machine-readable storage medium and may be executed by one or moregeneral-purpose or special-purpose programmable microprocessors. A“machine-readable medium”, as the term is used herein, includes anymechanism that can store information in a form accessible by a machine(a machine may be, for example, a computer, network device, cellularphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), manufacturing tool, any devicewith one or more processors, etc.). For example, a machine-accessiblemedium includes recordable/non-recordable media (e.g., read-only memory(ROM); random access memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; opticalstorage media; flash memory devices; etc.), etc.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method performed by a payment service systemfor customizing tipping within a payment transaction, comprising:detecting, by a payment application associated with the payment servicesystem, a mobile device being in proximity to a point-of-sale (POS)device associated with a merchant, the payment application executing onthe mobile device, the mobile device associated with a payer; responsiveto said detecting, automatically generating, by the payment servicesystem, a merchant identifier associated with the merchant for displayto the payer on a user interface of the payment application executing onthe mobile device, wherein the user interface comprises one or more ofuser-selectable indicators, including a user-selectable indicatorcorresponding to the merchant identifier, and selection of auser-selectable indicator results in transmitting a selection of themerchant identifier to the payment service system; receiving, by thepayment service system and via the payment application, the selection ofthe merchant identifier, said selection indicative of selecting theuser-selectable indicator corresponding to the merchant identifier and arequest of the payer to engage in a payment transaction with themerchant; accessing, by the payment service system, a database includinginformation associated with multiple merchant identifiers to identify aset of parameters associated with the merchant identifier, wherein theset of parameters comprises a merchant type, wherein the merchant typespecifies a type of service or good that the merchant provides;analyzing, by the payment service system, the set of parameters andresponsively generating, for display via the payment application at themobile device, an invoice for the payment transaction based on the setof parameters, said generating the invoice including: selecting, fromthe database of the payment service system in response to identifyingthe set of parameters, a particular tipping flow from a set of tippingflows included in the invoice, the set of tipping flows being differentfrom one another based on the set of parameters, wherein the particulartipping flow comprises a number of user interfaces, customized based onthe merchant type, to complete a payment from the mobile device to thepayment service system, and wherein the number is determined based atleast in part on the merchant type; causing, by the payment servicesystem, the particular tipping flow to be initiated automatically at thepayment application, the particular tipping flow enabling the payer topay the invoice and complete the particular tipping flow with themerchant through the payment application, wherein the particular tippingflow is incorporated with the invoice; and presenting the invoice andthe series of user interfaces to the payer at the mobile device;receiving, by the payment service system, a payment approval for theinvoice from the mobile device; and based at least in part on thepayment approval, automatically causing an invoice amount associatedwith the invoice to be transferred from a financial account associatedwith the payer to a financial account associated with the merchant. 2.The method of claim 1, wherein the particular tipping flow selected is afirst tipping flow, the first tipping flow associated with a first setof parameters corresponding to a restaurant merchant, wherein initiatingthe first tipping flow comprises: generating a set of tipping amounts,incorporated with the invoice, for selection by the payer by interactingwith the invoice presented at the mobile device, the set of tippingamounts predefined based on the first set of parameters corresponding tothe restaurant merchant; and receiving a particular tipping amount fromthe set of tipping amounts from the mobile device; and generating theinvoice amount for the invoice based on the particular tipping amount,the invoice amount including the particular tipping amount and a paymentamount associated with the payment transaction.
 3. The method of claim1, wherein the particular tipping flow selected is a second tippingflow, the second tipping flow associated with a second set of parameterscorresponding to a quick service merchant, wherein initiating the secondtipping flow comprises: determining a predefined tipping amount based onthe second set of parameters corresponding to the quick servicemerchant; and generating the invoice amount for the invoice based on thepredefined tipping amount, the invoice amount including the predefinedtipping amount and a payment amount associated with the paymenttransaction.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the invoiceamount to be transferred comprises: identifying, by the payment servicesystem, the financial account associated with the payer based on a payeridentifier associated with the payer, the payer identifier submitted aslogin credentials for accessing the payment application by the payer atthe mobile device; identifying, by the payment service system, thefinancial account associated with the merchant based on the merchantidentifier; and transmitting, by the payment service system, fundsindicative of the invoice amount from the financial account associatedwith the payer to the financial account associated with the merchant. 5.The method of claim 1, wherein generating the merchant identifiercomprises: accessing, by the payment service system, the database toidentify the merchant identifier based on association data stored in thedatabase, the association data linking the POS device with the merchantidentifier; and presenting, by the payment service system, the merchantidentifier via the payment application.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the mobile device is detected in proximity to the POS device byusing any of: a low energy wireless communication feature associatedwith the mobile device, a short range wireless communication featureassociated with the mobile device, or a wireless communication featureassociated with the mobile device.
 7. A method, comprising: receiving,by a payment service system from a user interface of a mobile device, anindication of a request of a payer to engage in a transaction with apayee, wherein the user interface comprises one or more ofuser-selectable indicators, including a user-selectable indicatorcorresponding to the payee; identifying, by the payment service systemfrom a database of the payment service system, a set of parametersassociated with the payee, wherein the set of parameters includes afirst payee type of a plurality of payee types, wherein the first payeetype specifies a type of service or good that the payee provides; andgenerating, by the payment service system, an invoice for thetransaction: wherein the invoice comprises a particular invoice typecorresponding to the first payee type and a particular tipping flowselected based at least in part on the first payee type, and wherein theparticular tipping flow comprises a number of user interfaces,customized based on the first payee type, to complete a payment from themobile device to the payment service system, wherein the number isdetermined based at least in part on the first payee type.
 8. The methodof claim 7, wherein the set of parameters further include a payeedescription and a payee transaction history.
 9. The method of claim 8,wherein the particular tipping flow selected corresponds to the firstpayee type, wherein the particular tipping flow includes a set oftipping amounts for selection by the payer, the set of tipping amountspredefined based on the set of parameters.
 10. The method of claim 7,wherein the first payee type is any of a restaurant type or aprofessional service type.
 11. The method of claim 9, furthercomprising: generating the set of tipping amounts, incorporated with theinvoice, for selection by the payer by interacting with the invoicepresented at the mobile device; and receiving a particular tippingamount from the set of tipping amounts from the mobile device; andgenerating an invoice amount for the invoice based on the particulartipping amount, the invoice amount including the particular tippingamount and a transaction amount associated with the transaction.
 12. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the particular tipping flow selectedcorresponds to a second payee type, wherein the particular tipping flowincludes a predefined tipping amount determined based on a second set ofparameters corresponding to the second payee type.
 13. The method ofclaim 12, wherein the second payee type is any of a quick service type.14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: generating an invoiceamount for the invoice based on the predefined tipping amount, theinvoice amount including the predefined tipping amount and a transactionamount associated with the transaction.
 15. The method of claim 7,wherein the indication is received based, at least in part, on themobile device being in proximity to a payee device associated with thepayee.
 16. The method of claim 7, wherein the indication is receivedbased, at least in part, on a selection of a payee identifier associatedwith the payee, said selection received as an input in a paymentapplication executing on the mobile device of the payer.
 17. A paymentservice system, comprising: a database; a memory; a processor coupled tothe memory and in communication with the database; and a transactionflow engine coupled to the processor and configured to: receive aselection of a payee identifier from a user interface of a mobile deviceof a payer, wherein the user interface comprises one or more ofuser-selectable indicators, including a user-selectable indicatorcorresponding to the payee identifier; identify a set of parametersassociated with the payee, wherein the set of parameters includes afirst payee type of a plurality of payee types, wherein the first payeetype specifies a type of service or good that the payee provides;select, from the database in response to identifying the set ofparameters, a first tipping flow from a set of tipping flows included inan invoice for a transaction between the payer and the payee, whereinthe first tipping flow is selected based on the first payee type, theset of tipping flows being different from one another based on the setof parameters, wherein the first tipping flow comprises a number of userinterfaces, customized based on the first payee type, to complete apayment from the mobile device to the payment service system, whereinthe number is determined based at least in part on the first payee type;initiate the first tipping flow to incorporate the first tipping flowinto the invoice; generate a set of tipping amounts, the set of tippingamounts predefined based at least in part on the first payee type;transmit the invoice with the set of tipping amounts to the mobiledevice for selection by the payer; receive a particular tipping amountfrom the set of tipping amounts from the mobile device; and generate aninvoice amount for the invoice based on the particular tipping amount,the invoice amount including the particular tipping amount and atransaction amount associated with the transaction, wherein the invoicecomprises a particular invoice type corresponding to the first payeetype.
 18. The payment service system of claim 17, wherein the firsttipping flow corresponds to a first set of parameters, the first set ofparameters corresponding to a restaurant payee, wherein the transactionflow engine is further configured to: receive a payment approval for theinvoice from the mobile device; and based at least in part on thepayment approval, cause the invoice amount to be transferred from afinancial account associated with the payer to a financial accountassociated with the payee.
 19. The payment service system of claim 17,wherein the transaction flow engine is further configured to: select,based on the set of parameters, a second tipping flow from the set oftipping flows included in the invoice for the transaction between thepayer and the payee; initiate the second tipping flow into included inthe invoice; determine a predefined tipping amount based on the set ofparameters; and generate a second invoice amount for the invoice basedon the predefined tipping amount, the second invoice amount includingthe predefined tipping amount and the transaction amount associated withthe transaction.
 20. The payment service system of claim 17, wherein theset of parameters further include a payee description and a payeetransaction history.